Happy Easter! Here's another snippet from my YA coming-of-age mystery, Shades of Blue. (You can catch up on the earlier excerpts here.) JoJo has just found out that Britney told Russ about Sam trying out for football, but Sam claims she didn't do it out of spite. I warned everyone last week not to jump to conclusions, but some people did anyway. Here's the explanation.
“She had just come in the room and didn’t know he’d already hit me. I don’t think she would’ve said anything if she’d known how mad he would get about it.”
“Oh, I just bet,” I said, my fists squeezed so tight that my fingernails were cutting into my palms.
“No, really,” he said, “because when he grabbed me by the throat, she started yelling at him to stop. And she hit him over the head with a lamp when he wouldn’t let me go, then she told me to get out of the house until he sobered up.”
“Oh my God.” I didn’t know if I was more shocked because Russ had tried to choke Sam or because Britney had actually done something decent. I rose to my knees and put my arms around Sam’s neck. “I’m so glad you got out of there, and you can’t go back.”
If only it were that simple. More next week, or you could always go buy your own copy of Shades of Blue here. ;-) Please also check out the other Snippet Sunday folks and the Weekend Writing Warriors. Something for everyone among these talented writers!
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I guess Jojo doesn't think that Britney scores high on the 'mothering' skill set. Poor Sam
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ReplyDeleteSad that things would have gotten to that point...
ReplyDeleteI love that her adoration for her son is clear, I just wish it had come sooner. :( Great snippet though, and it just goes to show– never expect anything!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Britney did something, but isn't it interesting she told the victim to leave until the abuser sobered up. Speaks a great deal to her character. Great snippet, Joyce. :)
ReplyDeletePoor Sam! How very telling that despite all the other bad things that happened, she might be more surprised that the mom actually cared. Nice character detail!
ReplyDeletePoor Sam- what an awful situation. I hope he can stay out of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad when a woman chooses a man over her own child...
ReplyDeleteGreat snippet!
ReplyDeleteI hope they can come up with a good plan for what she'll do next.
ReplyDeletePoor Sam ... especially as he gets even more "victimised" by being the one who has to leave the house. Very well written.
ReplyDeletePoor kid. So many of them have to put up with this kind of nonsense.
ReplyDeleteFeel so bad for him, but I'm glad his mother at least stepped up to help him that time. Now if she would be strong enough to get rid of Russ.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, it was his step-sister Britney who helped him. His mom was passed out.
ReplyDelete~Joyce
Oh wow... Well, at least she finally stood up for Sam, if even by whacking the guy with a lamp. Uh, she didn't kill him though by doing that, did she?
ReplyDeleteOkay, so she isn't the world's worst mom. Great scene. :)
ReplyDeleteI love how these two are always in each others' corner. :-)
ReplyDeleteHe definitely can't go back but I wonder what will happen to Britney then.
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